Chesapeake and Delaware Canal

The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal is a 14-mile ship canal across Delaware and Maryland, linking Chesapeake Bay with the Delaware River and shortening the route between the bay and the Atlantic Ocean.

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Chesapeake Bay: An estuary on the U.S. Atlantic coast, bordered chiefly by Maryland and Virginia. The canal's western end opens into this large estuary.
Chesapeake and Delaware Canal Company: The company formed to build and operate the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. It organized the project and secured support for a cross-peninsula waterway.
Port of Baltimore: A major seaport on the Patapsco River, an inlet of Chesapeake Bay. The canal offers ships serving Baltimore a shorter route to Atlantic shipping lanes.
Delmarva Peninsula: A peninsula in the eastern United States comprising Delaware and parts of Maryland and Virginia. The canal cuts across the peninsula's northern end, changing its waterways and transport geography.
Delaware River: A major river flowing from New York through Pennsylvania and New Jersey to Delaware Bay. The canal's eastern end connects to this river's tidal waterway.
Benjamin Wright: An American civil engineer known for designing canals, including work on the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. His engineering work helped turn the proposed route into a buildable project.
Port of Philadelphia: A group of seaport facilities along the Delaware River in Pennsylvania. The canal links the Delaware River shipping system with Chesapeake Bay routes.
Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway: A coastal route of connected waterways extending along the eastern United States. The canal provides a cross-peninsula link that strengthens this north-south route.
Summit level: The highest reach of a canal, where water levels are managed between descending sections. This raised central reach lets the canal cross the low watershed between the bays.
Canal construction: The engineering and labor involved in excavating, lining, and equipping artificial waterways. The canal's creation required decades of excavation and adaptation to local terrain.